Dutch bike industry organisation RAI Association is to introduce a new e-bike quality mark, reportedly prompted by imports of fat bikes that don’t comply with EN standards and road safety regulations.
Speaking to Bike EU, RAI Association chairman Frits Van Bruggen said with a quality mark, “we offer a targeted solution to the problems surrounding illegal fat bikes and other tuned models. This increases road safety without imposing generic restrictions on the responsible use of e-bikes.”
Earlier this year Dutch authorities seized 16,500 ‘fat bikes’ that had been imported from China - with the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) reporting that they were actually illegal mopeds. The shipment was halted in Rotterdam, while another 1,000 unapproved models were found in a Dutch distribution centre.
In the Netherlands the legal motor power assistance limit for e-bikes is 25km/h (15.5mph), but there is growing concern about so-called fat bikes as many do not comply.
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The quality mark will also offer consumers certainty about the safety of their e-bike, and will support law enforcement agencies in checking for illegal models.
“It should make it easier for consumers to make a safe choice. It is important that people are aware of the risks of illegal, tuned models and can trust certified e-bikes,” said van Bruggen.
It is uncertain how long this process of implementing the mark will take, with van Bruggen saying it will take months to develop. It will however lead to e-bike price increases due to the cost involved.
